Taxi Rates from POP Airport

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Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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Met someone arriving at the POP airport yesterday and while there took note of the posted taxi charges. Since there are frequent questions on traxi prices, I'm posting this here. From POP airport to:

Puerto Plata - US$20

Sosua - US$15

Casa Linda - US$16

Cabarete - US$20
 
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Adrian Bye

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Jul 7, 2002
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All those prices are with the "tigres" at the airport. They always generate problems, I don't trust them at all, aside from them being hugely expensive.

Call a local cab company when you get in (or better yet, organize it before your flight), and you'll get a much better deal. And you'll be dealing with much nicer people.
 
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jsizemore

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Aug 6, 2003
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autobus

walk the half mile to the road and pay 20 pesos to the Autobus to get to Sosua.
I try to enjoy my time.
John
 
F

Festero

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Dec 15, 2002
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Avoid SankiTaxi's

jsizemore said:
walk the half mile to the road and pay 20 pesos to the Autobus to get to Sosua.
I try to enjoy my time.
John
Click to expand...

That's the idea!

Before I started renting cars, prior to my trip I would prepare a clearly lettered cardboard hitchiking sign that would fold up in my luggage. Then walk out to the road after arriving at POP.

My sign said "Cofresi" on one side (or insert your destination here), and Aeropuerto on the other, for my return. Hell... I think I might even have my old sign, now that I think about it!

It wasn't so much just to save to the dollars... those airport A-Holes just always irritated the shit out of me. It gave me great satisfaction to avoid the airport ripoff taxi's: "My friend... My friend....taxi?"

I don't recall the exact $ situation, but I seem to remember it was about 10% from the autopista with whoever I rode with compared to the SankiTaxi's at the airport.
 
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jsizemore

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Aug 6, 2003
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Motoconchos or whatever

i catch a taxi from but to the airport I gave a guy a 100 pesos to go from Sosua to the Airport on a motoconcho and then this last time I caught a autobus from Sosua Abajo to the Airport it was 20 pesos.
No big deal to me
 
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Larry

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Mar 22, 2002
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POP airport to Sosua should be no more than 10 dollars. When you exit the airport, a guy with a list of fares will look at his list and then tell you the price is 15 dollars so as a gringo, you feel this is a set price. That guy will then grab your bags and walk you ( about 10 feet) to the nearest taxi and then look for a tip for helping you. The taxi driver will then want his 15 dollars for the trip.

Just avoid the guy with the list, walk up to the nearest taxi and tell him you only have 10 dollars and want to go to Sosua. He will take you. If he happens to say "no" to your 10 dollars, just start walking away. You wont get 5 feet before he is calling you back and loading your bags into his taxi for the sure 10 bucks. 10 dollars buys a lot of Brugal.

Larry
 
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jsizemore

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Aug 6, 2003
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so will 280 pesos

10 bucks or 20 peso. i will walk to the end of the road adn catch the Autobus lol
John
 
K

Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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You are wrong, Larry. The rates are posted on a very large sign at the airport clearly visible to anyone taking a taxi. Additionally, every person who requests taxi service is told the rate by the driver before anybody gets in the taxi.

John, if by autobus you mean the guaguas (a few buses but mostly vans), then you have been paying more than you should. Up until recently it was only RD$10 from Sosua to Puerto Plata, but now it is RD$15. In any case, the RD$20 you were paying was the price for clueless gringos

If you want to walk to the highway with your luggage, it is true you can save money by taking either a guagua or a publico (public car) that goes between Sosua and Puerto Plata. To catch one, cross the highway and wait. When they see you standing there they will toot to see if you want a ride.
 
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jsizemore

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Aug 6, 2003
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I travel light

I come with a carry one with three sets of clothes and nothing else. I don't get stopped by cutoms that way.
I figure the first trip I was a tourist. the second trip was to make up my mind. My third trip I had to start living the life i will be when I get here so I do the Bus thing. And yes I am still a clueless gringo but Oh how I have fun making my newbie mistakes. It is not about the money as much is it is about the adventure. I think these people could fit 30 in VW bug and still fin room for luggage.
LOL
John
 
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Larry

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Mar 22, 2002
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Ken said:
You are wrong, Larry. The rates are posted on a very large sign at the airport clearly visible to anyone taking a taxi. Additionally, every person who requests taxi service is told the rate by the driver before anybody gets in the taxi.
Click to expand...

Ken,
The rates are also posted in large numbers on the taxi stand in Sosua. They are the same as you quoted and they are gringo rates. They charge Dominicans about half of that. Whenever I arrive at the airport and dont rent a car, I use the method I described and it always works. Whenever I approach the taxi stand in Sosua and ask "how much", they tell me the gringo rate of 15 bucks and then when I haggle, they come down to 10 bucks. I dont get the Dominican price of 7 or 8 bucks but I get the Spanish speaking savvy Gringo price. Actually, as soon as I shake my head and haggle, they give me a look of respect and nod their heads and come down a little. Sorry to burst your bubble because I know you live there Ken but I am right and it works for me.
Larry
 
K

Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
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Maybe so, but I have found recently that it is a lot tougher to bargain with taxi drivers than previously. Maybe this is because it is the high season. I tried the other night, arguing with them in Spanish, but they refused to budge. I was surprised.

But I rarely use taxis. Even if you negotiate, they want too much. For example, on Sunday my wife and I had to go to the airport to meet the mother of a friend who lives in Samana. We walked up to the highway, flagged down a publico driver who was starting his run to Puerto Plata, offered him RD$100 to take us to the airport and rode there in the same comfort we would have paid a taxi much more for. My wife and I always use the publicos whenever we can. For RD$120 you have a taxi to Puerto Plata and for RD$400 you have a taxi for the round trip who stays with you during your shopping.
 
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Boh

Member
Jan 3, 2002
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What is the current per person rate (Sosua to Puerto Plata) compared to booking the entire publico? I think we paid RD$15. per person last January (Sosua to Puerto Plata). What is the cost per person from Sosua to Cabarete?
 
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jsizemore

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Aug 6, 2003
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it should be flat rate

LAst time I took a taxi i shared it. It should be flat rate for the cab load.
John
 
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Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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Boh, the current publico rate from Sosua to Puerto Plata is RD$20. Guagua is RD$15. These are daytime prices. Publico charges RD$5 more at night. Don't know about guagua at night because never take it.

We rarely take the whole publico, unless we are in a particular hurry or my wife has shopping to do in POP (we don't have a car and see no need for one). But what we, especially she, frequently do is buy an extra seat so have front seat with driver instead of having a 3rd person squeezed in.

Re cab, yes price is for the cab, not per person.
 
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Jane J.

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Jan 3, 2002
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But what we, especially she, frequently do is buy an extra seat so have front seat with driver instead of having a 3rd person squeezed in.
Click to expand...
I like to do that, too, but always feel like such a jerk when the car stops to pick up other passengers and they try to get in the front with me and I'm like "sorry, buddy... I'm a spoiled gringa and I need the whole seat!"
 
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tired_boy

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Dec 4, 2003
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Is a particluar method of transport preferable at night, or is it all the same.

When we visit we will want to get from Sosua or Caberete late at night (maybe 2 men, maybe 2 couples) to Playa Dorada
 
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jsizemore

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Aug 6, 2003
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don't play

youmay start out as two men but you know it wont be long before you are two couples lol
John
 
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